With This Ring
by evitamockingbird
Summary: Clarisse and Joe's wedding day to the next morning. Fluffy one-shot.


**I hope you enjoy this short piece about one of my favorite ships. It's my first** _ **Princess Diaries**_ **fic, so please go easy on me.**

Clarisse stood at the back of the church and watched her granddaughter's progress down the aisle. Mia met her fiancé at the front of the church and after a brief conversation, she returned his engagement ring to him. They parted with a smile, after which Mia made her way to the pulpit. A month ago, or even a week ago, Clarisse would not have been happy with this outcome. However, today she was delighted that her granddaughter had chosen to make this important decision with her heart. Clarisse was prepared to face the consequences of Mia's refusal to abide by the marriage law, but in the end the Princess, with some guidance from Prime Minister Motaz, abolished it, paving the way for her coronation without a husband. She applauded for her granddaughter, along with the crowd gathered in the church, and was just beginning to wonder what would happen next when Charlotte told her that Mia wanted to speak with her. Clarisse took the offered wire and listened.

"Grandma? Just because I didn't get my fairy tale ending, doesn't mean you shouldn't."

Clarisse felt a shock and she knew instantly to what Mia was referring. _Joseph_. She handed the earpiece back to Charlotte. "Did you hear that?"

"Not if you didn't want me to," Charlotte assured her.

Clarisse could not keep a laugh from bubbling up. "Oh, Charlotte."

The Queen was nervous, for the first time in a long time. Mia was challenging her to take her own advice and she was going to do it, but she had to say the right words. She didn't think Joseph would refuse her, but she couldn't be absolutely sure. She fidgeted and fiddled with her clothing for a few seconds before speaking his name.

"Joseph."

He appeared before her, facing her but not quite meeting her eyes. "Your majesty."

" _Dear_ Joseph." Joseph looked up at this, a little wary, but mostly simply curious. "Am I too late to ask you to accept my hand in marriage?" There, it was done. Now she had only to wait.

He did not disappoint her. A hint of a smile appeared on his lips. "Well, I thought you'd never ask."

Clarisse could only smile, the sort of smile that can't be hidden, a smile that aches after a little while, but that only accompanies pure happiness. Joseph handed his hat and security wire off to Shades and held out his arm for his bride. She placed her hand on top of his and they started down the aisle together. Charlotte appeared at her side and handed her Mia's bouquet. Clarisse spoke to the guests as she passed them on her way to the altar.

"I know it was short notice, but you were all dressed!" Joseph smiled at her giddiness and before long they stood before the archbishop. As was right and proper, Clarisse spoke to him. "My lord archbishop, I would like to take this man as my husband, if you please."

The man smiled benignly and replied, with a sigh, "finally."

Clarisse was startled at this and looked at Joseph for his reaction, but he only smiled. She was probably the only person of their acquaintance who was not aware that nearly everyone had already seen there was something more than friendship between the Queen and her head of security. His amusement made her smile once more and the ceremony began.

Clarisse and Joseph spoke their vows, but when they reached the exchange of the rings, Clarisse looked around for an answer to this problem. She had not expected to be married today and therefore had no ring to place on her husband's finger. However, Mia appeared beside her with the pillow that carried the rings for the wedding originally planned for today. "You can borrow Andrew's, Grandma," she whispered. "Just for today."

Once Clarisse had taken the larger of the two rings, Mia held the pillow out to Joseph, but he shook his head, reaching into his pocket and drawing out a gold band. The Queen was startled once again, but she recovered quickly. Andrew Jacoby's ring was a bit too small for Joseph's ring finger, but Clarisse slid it easily onto his little finger. "With this ring, I thee wed," she vowed.

Naturally, the ring Joseph had brought fit Clarisse's finger perfectly. "With this ring, I thee, finally, wed."

"I pronounce you husband and wife," the archbishop proclaimed cheerfully. "You may kiss the bride."

Clarisse thought fleetingly that she would never have expected to be kissing Joseph for the first time in front of hundreds of people, but any concern she might have felt about this was dispelled when their lips touched. The kiss was chaste, but with a hint of promise, and Clarisse felt only love and pride as she and Joseph turned to face the applauding crowd. She really had gotten her fairy tale ending, at long last.

#####

"Mia looks beautiful," Clarisse commented as she danced with Joseph later in the day. They were now celebrating their marriage at the reception originally planned for Andrew and Mia.

"Yes," he replied. "One wouldn't have guessed that she and her fiancé had split up at the altar just this morning. She carries it well."

"She really does, doesn't she?"

"I think perhaps, one day, she'll be as beautiful as you."

"Oh, Joseph," Clarisse demurred.

"You have to tell me, Clarisse."

"Tell you what?" she wanted to know.

"What changed your mind?"

She smiled. "It was Mia."

"Mia?"

"You know I went after her when she left the church for a few minutes. She was determined to marry Andrew, but she was finding it difficult to follow through. I told her to make her choice with her heart."

Joe raised his eyebrows. "And Genovia?"

"I was prepared to face the consequences, because I just couldn't force or advise her to marry him, Joseph. Only she could make the decision, but it seemed wrong somehow to put duty above love in her situation."

He nodded. "Brave advice."

"I knew I was responsible for my own broken heart. I didn't want that for Mia."

"Your broken heart," Joseph murmured.

"It was never a question of whether I loved you or not, you know," she said in a low voice. "It was only a question of my duty to Genovia. I really didn't know how else to be. Duty over personal needs or feelings was something I was taught almost from birth."

"Then what could Mia have said that changed your feelings about your duty?" he wondered.

"She challenged me to take my own advice - to make a decision with my heart."

"Well, I'm glad you did."

"Oh, so am I, Joseph," she agreed. "I didn't know I could be this happy."

"I did," he answered with a smile.

"Is that why you had a wedding band in your pocket today?" she asked.

"It's been in my pocket every day for the last several months. I'll admit I didn't know I'd be using it today, but I hadn't completely given up hope yet."

Clarisse smiled. "Thank you for having faith."

"Always."

#####

The curtains fluttered in the slight breeze and a bit of moonlight filtered into Clarisse's suite. She lay on her side, her head propped up on her elbow, watching her husband sleep. In the dim light, she could barely see him, but his features were so dear and familiar to her that she didn't need much light to know just what he looked like. The silence made her contemplative and Clarisse found herself looking back over the time she had known Joseph, wondering when she had started loving him. The first time she could remember feeling quite breathless in his presence was in San Francisco, just after she met Mia. Joseph had been assisting her by teaching Mia to dance and after the girl left the consulate that afternoon, he led Clarisse into a dance. Every second had been perfection. They moved and even breathed as one and the whole world outside fell away and it was just the two of them, dancing as though they were made for nothing else. Since then, there had been a thousand little moments in which he had shown her that he cared. He comforted her, challenged her, and always made her feel beautiful and special - and not merely because she was Queen. Clarisse's first marriage had not been unhappy, but she hadn't known the deep love she now felt for her second husband. It would be different this time around, but she looked forward to this new life she had embarked upon. However, there was only so much thinking she could do after such an eventful day; she was quite exhausted. After a few yawns, Clarisse rolled onto her other side and fell into a deep sleep full of pleasant dreams.

Joseph was awakened by her movement, but he did not stir. He opened his eyes and studied the ceiling. It was much finer than the one in his former room. Twenty-four hours ago he lay awake staring at that ceiling, asking himself again if retiring was really the right thing to do. He worried that it was a mistake, but at the same time, he thought that continuing at Clarisse's side every day would be torment as long as she refused his offer. _Thank God that's all over._ His worries and his heartbreak had been resolved in the happiest way possible. Any doubts he might have had about her commitment to him were banished when she stood before him and asked for his hand. He was surprised at her uncertainty, but it was also endearing. The Queen of Genovia was just as human as anyone else. Joseph had always known that, of course, but she had been willing to show it and that meant a great deal to him. Joseph drifted off to sleep, a smile on his lips, and dreamed of his lovely bride.

#####

Joseph awoke alone, but his wife was not far away. She was standing on the little balcony that overlooked the gardens, her elbows resting on the railing. As he climbed out of bed, he noticed that his wedding day clothing was folded in a tidy stack on one of the chairs. He wondered if it was the work of Clarisse's hand or if the maids had come in while he was sleeping. He was at least respectably dressed in his own pajamas, having sent for some of his clothes during the reception. He advanced quietly on Clarisse and rested his hands on her shoulders. In spite of his quiet progress, she had sensed his approach and immediately turned to face him.

"Good morning, my love," he greeted her. "You look radiant this morning."

"Good morning, Joseph. I feel wonderful."

"I'm glad."

"How are you, darling? Did you sleep well?"

"Very," he replied.

"Everything feels so new and bright and…" Clarisse noticed an odd expression on Joseph's face. "What is it?"

"Nothing, my dear."

"No, there is something. Tell me."

Joseph smiled reluctantly. "I love hearing you talk about how happy you are, but I was hoping for a kiss."

"You had only to ask," she replied in a low voice, leaning in to kiss him.

When they broke apart, Joseph spoke softly. "You know, I keep expecting your maids to walk through the door."

"You needn't worry about that. I told them not to come until I summoned them."

"Did you? Were you expecting to be busy this morning?"

Clarisse flushed and tried to look stern. "Joseph, please!"

"I assure you, my question is perfectly innocent," he assured her, going to her CD player and fiddling with the controls. "I was going to ask you to dance." The strains of a familiar song filled the room and Joseph approached his wife and held out his hand to her. They moved together just as they had five years ago, in perfect synchronization.

"Do you remember this? In San Francisco?" she asked.

"Remember? How could I forget? I was surprised you took me up on my offer of a dance outside of the usual ballroom setting."

"To be quite honest, so was I. But it was a lovely dance. You took my breath away."

Joseph was surprised. "Did I? I had no idea."

"I don't know if I was in love with you yet, but I've relived that afternoon many times, especially during the last few weeks."

"Well, here we are again."

"Yes." Clarisse laughed. "In our pajamas."

Joseph spun her out and then back in again, but then took her in his arms for a closer dance. They moved around the room for a while, but gradually moved slower and slower until they were simply swaying in one place, cheek to cheek.

"I love you," Clarisse murmured.

"I love you, too."

 _The end._

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